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ATUC meeting Director’s Report Lewis Ball October 2008 Gomez et al P616 H 2 O maser AGB star

ATUC meeting Director’s Report

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Gomez et al P616 H 2 O maser AGB star. ATUC meeting Director’s Report. Lewis Ball October 2008. Welcome. Elaine Sadler (Chair) Sarah Maddison (Chair elect) Andrew Walsh George Hobbs Stuart Ryder (second term) Tara Murphy Hayley Bignall James Urquhart Indra Bains (from next meeting) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

ATUC meetingDirector’s Report

Lewis BallOctober 2008

Gomez et al P616H2O maserAGB star

Page 2: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Welcome

• Elaine Sadler (Chair)• Sarah Maddison (Chair elect)• Andrew Walsh• George Hobbs• Stuart Ryder (second term)• Tara Murphy• Hayley Bignall• James Urquhart• Indra Bains (from next meeting)• Daniel Yardley – student• Clancy James – student• Stacy Mader - Secretary

Page 3: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Successes and Issues

• CABB progress but timeline still a challenge• First science from Parkes 13mm receiver• ASKAP:

• PAF first light and first interferometry• Draft User Policy • PWC hearing

• Ops restructured to Eng. & Science• Pulsar DFBs to Germany, China, UK, Italy• Astronomy highlights

• 2ms psr in eccentric orbit• “Like a fork piercing a fried egg…”

• Difficulty resourcing LSCX upgrade

Page 4: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

CABB

Compact Array Broadband Backend

• Production of hardware & firmware continues• Three antenna correlation achieved• On track for major install in Mar-Apr 2009• Current cost ~twice initial estimates ($12M)• Good progress though lots of work still to do and

significant remaining challenges

Page 5: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

LSCX Upgrade

• Strong link to CABB• Project replanned• Resource requirements significantly higher than initial

estimates• Strong competition for resources between CABB,

LSCX and ASKAP• Scientific priorities reassessed• Current aims (following ATSC input)

• upgrade L&S band front ends, simultaneous 2GHz L&S bands into CABB

• existing front end C&X bands simultaneously into CABB• ATUC input welcomed

Page 6: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Parkes 13mm receiver

• Installed Sep 08 (earlier than anticipated at May ATUC)

• Science underway• Innovative mediation of spectral baseline ripple

Page 7: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Parkes 13mm receiver

Page 8: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Science & Operations planning

• Extensive engagement with user community• Operations plan

• User feedback summary on v1• ATNF response• v2 to be released soon

• Science Priorities drafted – extensive user input• ASKAP configuration – informed by Science Priorities• Draft ASKAP User Policy – from Taskforce

recommendations

• ATNF Operations Plan v3 in Q1 2009

Page 9: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Operations implementation

• Change from Observatory structure to functional structure effected in July

• ATNF perspective – benefits already as knowledge and resources are shared across facilities

• Continued effective delivery of facilities to users warrants congratulations to operations staff

• Specific feedback from ATUC on any issues arising would be welcomed

Page 10: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

ATSC status

• Creation of Astronomy Australia Limited (AAL)• Desire for single entity to provide strategic advice on

radio astronomy to both CSIRO and AAL• Proposal to expand, clarify and update the brief of the

Australia Telescope Steering Committee (ATSC) (ANRAC)

• Brief to Commonwealth Minister for ScienceATSC ANRACAustralian National Radio Astronomy Committee

• Still awaiting Minister’s decision

Page 11: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Advisory group meeting

• Ad hoc meeting of 2007 ATSC members on 16 & 17 Oct• Issues discussed:

• LSCX upgrade• Operations planning incl. science priorities• Effectiveness of international engagement incl. ASKAP &

SKA• ASKAP progress, planning, draft User Policy

Page 12: ATUC meeting Director’s Report

Environmental assessment

• Effective engagement with user community on a range of fronts

• Substantial progress on technical projects including CABB & ASKAP

• Good progress on key external milestones such as PWC

• Tremendous support for strategic direction of radio astronomy in CSIRO and government

• Strongly constrained CSIRO financial environment for ongoing activities